As budgets are put on hold and class sizes increase some professors are being asked to teach more in the classroom. A recent article in the Chronicle highlights one professor’s frustration with the changes he is experiencing. The Arizona State University professor claims he selected the position because he would not have to teach as much in the classroom. One year later, it turns out this is not the case.
The article goes on to outline how other campus professors are coping with the numbers of students and who is teaching introductory courses. Some institutions are compensating their faculty who serve as chair or on other department committees by assigning fewer courses to teach. Other institutions are requiring that all faculty teach introductory courses from year to year.
In the case of the ASU professor, a contract (something in writing) is one thing to uphold and should be put to question if an institution is not upholding their bargain. For class sizes and with budget cuts, a movement of expectations for faculty may need to shift to support the growing changes on every campus. I am on the fence about having full tenured faculty teach introductory courses. Usually they need time to focus more on their writing and research. At the same time, since they are already well established, it may be really good to have new students have experts teach intro courses to invigorate energy and bring a big picture from a long time teaching professor. It may be hard for faculty who become accustomed to teaching only one or two courses a year to now be expected to teach twice a term.
It comes down to what the departmental needs are and how will they meet those changing needs. Do they use the current faculty they have on hand or hire more adjuncts to take on the work load?
A topic that was not discussed in the article was the use of technology and how it could be used to record or document course teachings. This could be advantage for courses that are introductory as they are offered usually many times a term. Instead of having faculty teach various sections, perhaps do it online. I think the departments are stuck in thinking that there are only a few ways to solve a problem instead of seeking new solutions or outcomes that support all stakeholders involved.
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ReplyDeleteAfter reading the original article, I have to be honest that it was hard for me to sympathize too much for the professor. Only teaching one class, one day a week is an amazing schedule but with the changing economy, the budget cuts, it seems completely ridiculous to think that this would remain. Keep in mind that I don't know what the "contract" looked like between the University and the professor and I do believe that the law prevails over the need. However, I would hope that Universities are not signing contracts with professors that are so limited on their teaching schedules.
ReplyDeleteMany of us (speaking from personal experience) have had to make adjustments in our jobs, in our living styles, in our lives to work with the changes in the economy. My husband's employer had layoffs every year for about 6 years straight. They cut salaries and put a freeze on promotions and pay raises. On top of that, less people were doing the job that several were doing before. Many people are having to make sacrifices and adjustments. It seems that this professor may have to do the same!
Again, I have no idea what is in the contract but if the need is there, I would hope that the professor would be willing to make some sacrifices too!